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Planning committee advances draft requiring holding tanks, mandatory stickers for year‑round camping; tiny‑home rules debated
Summary
At a Red County planning workshop, staff presented a draft resolution to allow year‑round camping while requiring wastewater controls (holding tanks or lateral lines) and a mandatory sticker program for easier enforcement; members also discussed whether tiny homes should be regulated alongside camping rules.
The Red County planning committee discussed a staff‑draft resolution intended to regulate year‑round camping and address sanitation and enforcement gaps. Staff member told the committee: "So, basically, we would say that it's allowed. Secondly, we would make sure that each camper has wastewater, has a holding tank, or has lateral lines," and proposed a mandatory sticker program for HOAs to help identify compliant units.
Why it matters: Committee members said current practice makes enforcement difficult when campers use temporary or improvised units near lakes and other sites. Staff described a low‑cost sticker that homeowner associations could manage; the sticker would be mandatory under the draft, making it easier for enforcement officers to avoid door‑to‑door searches.
What the draft would do: The resolution would (1) permit year‑round camping under defined conditions, (2) require wastewater containment (holding tank or lateral sewer connection) for each camper, and (3) add a mandatory sticker requirement administered through HOAs to indicate compliance. Staff indicated the sticker language appears in Section 4 of the draft resolution and that she would deliver a completed resolution and a resolution number to commissioners once finalized.
Tiny homes: The committee also debated whether tiny homes should be folded into the same regulatory approach. Staff raised concerns that many tiny structures are installed without building permits or plumbing and—when occupied—are effectively being used as residences without meeting dwelling standards. One committee member said people are obtaining shed permits for structures later occupied as homes and noted safety concerns: "They're living in them, but it's really more like camping…" Members discussed possible code fixes such as requiring foundations, minimum plumbing/water connections, or permit conditions explicitly prohibiting habitation for certain shed permits.
Next steps: Staff agreed to redraft the camping language to align code section 8‑604 with the resolution and to circulate the revised text to the committee. Members also asked staff to coordinate cross‑references in the subdivision and residential chapters to ensure consistency. The committee expects to present the redlined language at a public hearing when the draft is complete.
